On Sunday, November 15th, 2020, Barbara Bernice Helgeson, loving wife and mother of one daughter, passed away from natural causes unrelated to COVID-19 at the age of 69. Barbara was born on August 1, 1951, in Galveston, TX. She loved referring to herself as “BOI”, which means “Born on the Island.”
On July 7, 1974, Barbara married the love of her life, William “Bill” Helgeson, and left Galveston to be a Coast Guard wife. Together they lived many places including Savannah, GA; New London, CT; Texas (again); Louisiana; and New York City. They had a daughter, Bonnie, and affectionately called themselves “The 3 Bs.” In 1994, Bill retired from the Coast Guard, and the family of three moved to Chandler, AZ, where Barbara lived until her passing.
In her youth, Barbara was an avid seamstress and made all of her own clothes while working at the Galveston Chamber of Commerce. She enjoyed volunteering at Bonnie’s preschool in Connecticut and loved children in general.
Barbara was preceded in death by her mother, Bernice Cecilia Lane; brothers Dennis and Darrell Lane; and beloved aunt Gloria Whelton. She is survived by her husband Bill; daughter and son-in-law Bonnie and Jay Kirby; grandchildren Quinn and Annabelle; a number of cousins, nieces and nephews in Texas; and dear friends from around the country.
Special thanks to the staff at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. A memorial for family will be held at a future date due to COVID-19. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
https://catholiccharities.org/what-you-can-do/donate/donate-online-now-and-help-families-in-need/